A CAMPAIGNING headteacher has called for action to get a safe and secure playing field for his students.

Work is underway on a new £8.5million purpose-built school for Market Field School in Elmstead Market.

But while the premises will be state-of-the-art, the school is still lacking a playing field to call its own.

Now, after years of talks, headteacher Gary Smith has pleaded with Essex County Council to act to sort out the problem.

The school’s 200 students, who have moderate learning difficulties, can do PE on a field, which is leased by the parish council.

However, it is not secure and anyone can use the field for dog walking or other activities.

Mr Smith said: “Play and PE is, for some of our children, the main area for learning.

“Children with autism can have communication and socialisation difficulties. In sport, these are areas you are tackling.

“In addition, the brain is stimulated by exercise.

“It is vital both educationally and socially.

“We have an agreement which means we can use the field during school time. However, it doesn't stop people from walking their dogs there.

“It also isn’t secure which we need for the children.”

Mr Smith said there was an alternative area of land which could be used by the school or the village, but no deal had been struck on that.

He added: “It is frustrating.

“We have been asking for this for years, but we must be one of the only schools which does not have a playing field of its own.”

The school, which was recently rated as outstanding by Ofsted for the third consecutive time, is temporarily at the former Alderman Blaxill School site while the new school is built.

The county council released funding for the new school after nearly a decade of lobbying which also included Mr Smith approaching the Prime Minister David Cameron, the Queen and Chelsea Football Club’s billionaire Russian owner Roman Abramovich.